Block 5

I heard he (allegedly) failed a drug test at Liverpool ages ago. Apparently not performance-enhancing drugs either, but rather, the recreational variety. It was kept quiet but word got out. I thought it was common knowledge. Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk

My bad. They weren't showing as sold out until I logged in to my account.... Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk

These are on general sale..... Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk

No way! Too many bottle jobs on here saying we should sell.

So Chelsea come in with a derisory bid and everyone thinks we should sell? That still makes us look weak because we're still kowtowing to a 'big club' and to a player who thinks he's 'bigger' than our club. We cave in now and this kind of thing will continue to happen next season and the season after ad infinitum... This is not the way to deal with bullying. No way Conte! Not for sale! Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk

As I said in the op, some of this is just being flippant. Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk

There are untold hilarious ways to circumvent that. We wouldn't even need to mention his name. "This week, a south coast club's centre back's wages will be sponsored by... Pampers" Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk

This. QUOTE=Professor;2518139]I'm not sure the club does need to sell Van Dijk in order to move on. He can just be left out in the cold until a suitable solution arises. The team played without him for half of last season, and since then, one more CB has been added to the squad anyway. As long as the club holds his registration, his value remains on the balance sheet, which in the absence of any bid is based on the 13m we paid for him, not the speculative figures in the media. If the club stands firm until the window closes, it's going to be a very long Autumn for Van Dijk because it's his career that is at risk. If this goes on beyond the transfer window, or the club think he might be a disruptive influence, the club hierarchy might decide they don't want him to play for us again even if he says he will. It's possible he may have to find any club except Liverpool in order to play again. By standing firm, Southampton can deter similar situations in the future by showing the wealthy clubs that our best players can no longer be picked off while under contract. And this. We simply don't need to sell. If you're playing poker and you have an unbeatable hand (which we do), you don't fold when things start getting a bit scary. You stand your ground. This fiasco will NOT stop other players from wanting to join us in future. The only players that would be discouraged from signing for us are the kind that might be liable to behave in the same way as VVD in order to engineer a move away. And we DON'T want those types of player anyway. VVD is NOT disrupting the team, he's being kept well away from our other players (we learned from Fontegate). The quick decision by MP to keep him away from the squad was a stroke of genius. Ostracism has been one of of the most powerful tools to engender cohesion throughout all of human history. It can even be seen in the animal kingdom. And it works! No one in our squad will be feeling pity for VVD, especially if our manager is as good a manipulator as he seems to be. VVD will be resented. That's how ostracism works. We CAN afford to continue paying his wages even though he's not playing, we have budgeted VVD's wages into our accounts for the next 5 years. And despite that, the money raised from JayRod's sale covers VVD's wages. We've just earned a couple of extra million by agreeing for Virgin Media to put patches on our sleeves FFS. Personally, I'd invite companies to sponsor VVD's wages every week. It would be an absolute laugh: "this week, Virgil Van Dijk's childish petulance will be sponsored by Paddy Power". We could turn him into a complete joke. What's more, people saying that he is a £60m asset are wrong! On the balance sheet (and THAT is what matters in business) he is worth what we paid Celtic for him, and not a penny more. We CAN buy another quality CB, I have no doubt that was always our intention, but not to enable the sale of VVD but rather to bed in this season as an eventual replacement for VVD. We have no obligation to play VVD, he can train on his own and watch Jeremy Kyle every day. The only casualty of his continued shabby behaviour will be his own career. I'd keep him out all season and make an example to all. No player is bigger than any football club. I'd only accept him back in to the fold if he sacks his agent, makes a grovelling public apology about how he'd been poorly advised and then crawls in to Les Reed's office on his hands and knees whilst tugging his forelock. If he doesn't he can spend the next three years cleaning boots for the under 18s. Then sell him to Dante's Inferno United, where he can spend eternity playing football in the fifth circle of hell whilst simultaneously burning alive and having his eyes plucked from their sockets, over and over. We have over 130 years of history and 130 years from now, we will still be going strong and VVD will be completely forgotten. Some of the above is obviously flippant but we really are in a strong position here. Les, if you're reading this and your John Thomas is starting to shrivel up, pop a couple of Viagra and stand firm old bean!

Don't worry about it. I'll be sat with you in restricted view hell. It's all part and parcel of the Selhurst experience. Incidentally, if anyone is interested in this kind of thing, James Cauty's ADP riot tour (as seen at Banksy's Dismaland) is currently in Croydon and is well worth a look. It's at the Timebridge Youth and Community Centre, Field Way , New Addington, Croydon. Some details here: https://jamescauty.com/news/ And here : http://www.l-13.org/acatalog/Jimmy-Cauty-s-MODEL-VILLAGE--The-Aftermath-Dislocation-Principle--UK-RIOT-TOUR.html

I thought that the new pa was superb. I could hear every word for the first time in years. Admittedly it was a tad loud at times but that's understandable as it takes a while to get used to a new system. And it was an absolute treat to hear 'Trapped' by Colonel Abrams, who sadly passed away last Friday. RIP

Matt Targett or James Ward-Prowse could win the game for us...... Lulz.

I love Yoshida, he's brilliant. Just as long as the only time I ever see him is in the background of photos taken at Staplewood. On the Premier League field of play, the poor guy is a defensive car crash just waiting to happen.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2016/08/14/manchester-united-transfer-news-and-rumours-on-sunday---live-upd/ United open informal talks with Jose Fonte According to ESPN, Manchester United have opened informal talks with Southampton over a possible deal to sign Jose Fonte. It has been well reported that Jose Mourinho is keen to add a defensive leader to his back line, and with the acquisition of Leonardo Bonucci looking even more unlikely, the £8m purchase of Fonte appears to be the most feasible option.

Wrong forum mate. Try the Sotonians forum, that's the nice one. This forum is just for ****s.

Who needs Mourinho? The Saints have got Clouseau. No not now Cato. No not now Cato.

Ok Chez. I'll bite. How come European clubs that win more trophies than English clubs and charge far less for tickets, still manage to attract top talent and pay them good money? Are you suggesting that if clubs were to substantially drop ticket prices, there would be a resulting talent drain from the Premier League? Maybe less foreign talent would come to England? Maybe this would see clubs develop more home grown talent? Who knows. Perhaps the best thing is to do nothing and watch while players' wages and agents' fees increase exponentially and suck the very soul out of the once beautiful game. Maybe monetisation and corporatisation of sport is a good thing. Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

"The three of us have been particularly troubled by the perception that we don’t care about our supporters, that we are greedy, and that we are attempting to extract personal profits at the club’s expense." Lulz. Messrs Henry, Werner and Gordon are obviously from the caring, sharing millionaire demographic, right? Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

Sooner or later, a Premier League club is going to bring their ticket prices in line with the other European leagues. It will be a PR coup for that club. Other clubs will follow suit. The issue is a hot potato at the moment, and where Liverpool fans have led, others will follow. It is incredibly bad PR for any club's fans to stage walk outs, especially during televised games, and I can't see other clubs risking the same negative media attention. I would love it if Saints took the lead. It would certainly increase the perception that we are forward thinking, and a model for other clubs to follow. The argument that PL clubs need that income is utter guff. As this helpful graphic from the Independent shows, teams from the continent have lower prices AND are still successful in terms of trophies won.

He definitely impressed earlier on. He has a good eye for a pass that could potentially unlock a defence if someone pacy like Long or Mané were running into space; Pellè less so obviously. Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

What better way to defeat a bunch of fanatical jingoistic nationalists who no one understands, than to listen to a jingoistic nationalist battle hymn, the words to which, none of the 32000 attendees understands? Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

Conspicuous by his absence recently. Maybe this is why? http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/west-london-news/qpr-defender-steven-caulker-fined-10245529 Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk

Wasn't Turkish once known as Stu Romsey Saint?

Bye bye Daevid Allen x

It's incredibly difficult to pick just 5 (I suspect this was the OP's intention) and far too many of you have cheated! Here are mine: John Coltrane - Giant Steps Davey Graham - Folk Blues and Beyond Gong - You Crass - Feeding of the 5000 Woob - 1194

Sadly, it's just been announced that Daevid Allen's cancer has returned and is inoperable.